Jim Leonhard expects to play next year and hopes it will be with the Jets.

The veteran safety, who tore the patellar tendon in his right knee in a Week 13 win over the Chiefs, roughly a year after breaking his leg, said yesterday that he is “100-percent confident” he will be healthy enough to return to the field in 2012.

The question is whether the Jets will want that comeback to happen in their uniform. Leonhard is an unrestricted free agent, and coach Rex Ryan — despite being Leonhard’s biggest supporter — wouldn’t commit yesterday to re-signing him.

“There’s a lot of things that go into every decision,” Ryan said when asked about Leonhard’s future with the Jets. “Health certainly is always a consideration.”

Leonhard had surgery two weeks ago to repair his knee and said he has been told the 4-to-6 month rehabilitation process will be grueling. He remains undaunted, though.

“I’m 100 percent confident that I’m going to be playing football somewhere next year,” Leonhard said. “Obviously with the history here, you’d like it to be here, but you never know.”

Ryan, who first discovered the undersized Leonhard as an undrafted free agent and brought him to the Jets from Baltimore, also was sure Leonhard would bounce back.

“He’s a quick healer, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get healthy,” Ryan said. “And I’m confident he will get healthy. He’s just had two really freakish injuries, so I don’t see him as not being durable.”

* Backup quarterback Mark Brunell told The Post he doesn’t plan to retire after this season and hopes to be back with the team in 2012 at age 42.

If every team passes on him, Brunell said he will retire to his home near Jacksonville, Fla., where he would be open to a scouting, coaching or front-office role with the Jaguars after starring for that franchise for nine seasons.

Brunell — who filed for bankruptcy in 2010 listing almost $25 million in debts — also said he wouldn’t rule out signing a ceremonial contract with Jacksonville so he could retire as a member of the Jaguars.

“I had nine years there that I felt good about and built a lot of relationships,” Brunell said. “That’s our home, and where I certainly enjoyed all my years there. I’m also excited about their new owner [Shahid Khan] and his plans on making it work in Jacksonville.”